Thoreau and Manson

One of my favorite lines of Walden is the following: "No way of thinking or doing, however ancient, can be trusted without proof."

If I were to choose a mantra for Punk Rock, this would definitely be it.

To me, Punk is in very large part concerned with being a free-thinking individual - an individual who will not adhere to the arbitrary and commonly accepted trends of society simply because it is the status quo. Of course, if you arrive to a conclusion on your own which happens to mesh with that of society's, this is wholly acceptable. However, the key is simply not to just accept something because it has prevailed for generations or because it is unquestioned. I've always thought that Marilyn Manson is one of the strongest proprietors of this philosophy. In his song "Antichrist Superstar," he sings about how people have a tendency to submit themselves to the "common mode of living" without thinking. He sings, "I didn't have to sell you - you threw your money in the pissing well, you do just what they tell you." Thoreau found it devastating that there is such a huge portion of our minds that we allow to remain inactive. Marilyn Manson, a true Punk in every sense of the word, would certainly be alligned with Thoreau on this score.

More Thoreau Commentary

Reading "Where I Lived, And What I Lived For," perhaps my favorite chapter of Walden, is as refreshing as it is painful. Thoreau extrapolates upon certain ideas which he holds to be essential in life, and creates an ideal portrait of how we should live. It is delightful to read because it makes me feel validated - almost as if Thoreau would applaud my development as a thinker, because I really resonate with much of what he says. It is also difficult to read because it reiterates how far the masses have digressed in terms of vigilance and true engagement with the world. At the same time, Thoreau provides some advice which I found to be a bit puzzling while reading this section. He advises, "...I would say to my fellows, once and for all, as long as possible live free and uncommitted." Living freely is something I completely understand. Contrastly, I assumed that Thoreau would proclaim the opposite regarding commitment. I imagine him the type who would deem an existence where one is committed to something (not necessarily a person, but an idea or cause) to be the only type of life that has meaning. Then I read further and realized he probably agrees with me on this score, but simply meant that one should never be stuck in a state of mental stagnancy. He speaks of "renewing thyself completely each day," so he is trying to get across the idea that living freely means never being dogmatic and settling too quickly once you have found your niche. Such a level of comfort can sometimes be dangerous because it is when we are unsettled that we strengthen our search for truth and meaning. Therefore, being too situated in a comfort zone can often translate to closing oneself off from further growth.

Again, I must reiterate how inspirational Thoreau's opinions are, but they bring me to such sad realizations. He knows "of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor," yet I see so much apathy around me in regard to improving one's station in life. I, too, fell prey once to a demoralizing state of being that prevented me from "elevating" myself. I feel that I've learned how destructive apathy can be, which is why I try to make a conscious effort to analyze the negative components in my life and configure a way to correct them. Still, there are a bit too many people who become devoured by the sin of complacency and forget that change is constant. This line of thought reminds me of the title of a Dead Kennedy's album called "Give me Convenience or Give me Death."

Thoreau and Punk Rock

Thoreau's ideas and his actions completely resonate with the Punk philosophy. In Walden, he recounts having gone to jail for a day for not paying his taxes, and ever since I learned of his defiance, my respect for him instantaneously went up. He was even disappointed when his aunt had bailed him out. His reasoning for refusing to pay the tax was because he did not want to "...recognize the authority of the state which buys and sells men, women, and children, like cattle at the door of its senate-house." I wish I had the courage not to pay my federal income taxes once I become an adult. Those taxes are totally unconstitutional. However, when the time comes, I see myself simply complying. Thoreau's critiques on how society operates are particularly Punk because he believes that "...wherever a man goes, men will pursue and paw him with their dirty institutions, and if they can, constrain him to belong to their desperate odd-fellow society." Punk philosophy is, in part, concerned with the value of the individual, and how modern society places unfair and arbitrary constraints on us. I believe that true adherents to Punk thought are skeptical of governmental policy and take the time to understand the downsides of capitalism, which Thoreau clearly saw looming during his lifetime. His quote indicates a distaste for how people are "pawed" because they are seen as units who are to be put to work rather than individuals who should be able to think and live freely. I love how he refers to our culture as an "odd-fellow society" because I agree with his stance on how individuals are corrupted by society's intention to mold people into effective servants to capitalism. He refers to them as "odd-fellows" because they transform from pure, unadulterated citizens to people who are displaced from their true selves because they are conditioned to think their purpose equals their function, or their work. Consequently, most of us fail to entertain the prospect of finding true contentment.

"Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson

My favorite line of "Nature" may just be the following: "These enchantments are medicinal, they sober and heal us. These are plain pleasures, kindly and native to us." This line is immensely powerful because it iterates how the remedy for most modern ailments can be found by appreciating that which was here before us, and that which will be here long after we perish. The everlastingness of nature must enchant us at a deeply personal level because despite modern medicine, despite the revolution incited by the antibiotic, there is still a sacred, mystic healing power of a peaceful yoga retreat in the Himalayas. For me at least, even something as simple as a picnic in the grass leaves me nostalgic for some reason in a way that going to the movies or arcade will not, regardless of who I am with. This sentiment reminds me of another one of Emerson's quotes: "We never can part with it; the mind loves its old home: as water to our thirst, so is the rock, the ground, to our eyes, and hands, and feet." He is referring to Nature and how its presence is something that will always be imbibed within us no matter how distant we may physically be from it.

One line in particular made me think of something Thomas Jefferson said. When Emerson claims, "Cities give not the human senses room enough," it made me think of how Jefferson greatly valued an agrarian America. He saw those who worked the earth to be the "chosen men of God" and he hoped with all his heart that America wouldn't industrialize to the degree which European society had because he observed how Europeans seemed to "eat at" each other. This may very well be because industry, or other trends of modernization, suffocates us in ways that only Nature can liberate us from.

Questions Thoreau Makes Me Ponder:

In Walden, I stumbled upon what I consider to be a fascinating conflict. Thoreau explains, "I found in myself, and still find, an instinct toward a higher, or, as it is named, spiritual life, as do most men, and another toward a primitive rank and savage one, and I reverence them both." I engage in the same thought process on such a frequent basis. He sometimes feels as if there is conflict between the two lifestyles, but I think he has struck a balance, which is one of the most important prospects in life. I sometimes feel as though we as humans are less "human" than we were centuries ago. I occasionally deem it ludicrous that we would suppress our natural instincts for the sake of being politically correct or conforming to social standards. Yet, other times I feel as if I must treat my body as a temple and dedicate my life to spiritual evolution, for we are not merely animals but also spiritual beings capable of seeking out fundamental truths during introspection. Thoreau claims that "goodness is the only investment that never fails." Most people at some point in their lives wrestle with the issue of morality, and ask themselves the question of when being "good" is going to pay off. I wish I had unflinching faith like Thoreau does. His firm belief that the cosmic order of nature will reward those who do good seems as if it would make one feel so much more at ease in life.

Transcendentalism.

Henry David Thoreau's words ooze with undertones of malice for the emerging corporate ethos which he saw to be dominating American culture. Still, in his time, I'm sure he maintained that this emergence was not as all-permeating as it is today. A beautiful chapter of Walden entitled "The Ponds" details all the splendor and beauty of the simple things Nature has to offer anyone with a keen eye. He talks about amenities such as coffee, teas, butter, and how so many people work incredibly hard to be able to purchase things such as these. The key, however, is that he implies how the lives that the masses lead are wasted in trying to acquire material things by toiling day in and day out. He mentions, "But the only true America is that country where you are at liberty to pursue such a mode of life as may enable you to do without these, and where the state does not endeavor to compel you to sustain the slavery and war and other superfluous expenses which directly or indirectly result from the use of such things." I take this to mean that with the propensity to acquire which inevitably grows out of capitalism, Americans still fundamentally have a choice about what kind of life they want to live. You can choose to submit yourself to the capitalist system and "work hard to eat hard," so to speak, or, you could resign from that way of living, just as Thoreau had, and seek fulfillment someplace else. I think he is saying that if you choose to spend your days in a traditional manner which entails finding an occupation to take up your days, endlessly bonded to a cycle of ceaseless work and subsequent consumption, then you may find yourself "enslaved." Still, at the end of the day, you can choose to opt out. I do not think such an option is nearly as easy today as it once may have been. It is unfortunate but the forces of socialization which condition us to submit ourselves to the aforementioned cycle are so incredibly strong that it is not feasible for the common person to withdraw from it and seek a life of fine quality elsewhere. It is not impossible, but it certainly takes strong character.

Reflecting Upon Emerson

Having recently moved to Boston for college, I've decided to delve into some of the works from great New England thinkers, mainly my Transcendental-soulmates, Thoreau and Emerson. I've always found "The American Scholar" to be extremely eloquent. I will start my reflection by citing a portion of the speech which I currently relate to most: "Meek young men grow up in libraries believing it their duty to accept the views which Cicero, which Locke, which Bacon have given, forgetful that Cicero, Locke, and Bacon were only young men in libraries when they wrote these books." I don't think I've ever been one to blindly accept anyone's philosophies without first thinking critically, but there is a specific dilemma I believe I face. I read the works of great thinkers and become so enchanted by their ingenuity and dazzled by their brilliance, and I sometimes forget that if I work and think hard enough, I may be capable of contributing something to society just like my heroes (mainly Thoreau and Chomsky, right now) have. I sometimes feel powerless because even though we live in a society, which, because it is grounded in capitalistic values, should theoretically reward ingenuity and innovative ideas, it often does not. I find this daunting and occasionally doubt whether it is worth it to strive for anything other than mediocrity. I quickly recover from this thought process, however, and realize that if anything else I know I will simply find it more fun to stimulate myself mentally, and if I happen to achieve something great in the process, so be it. Still, it is not fun to fall prey to demoralizing thoughts where I question the impact I am capable of making as one tiny unit in a massive, convoluted world.

On a similar note, Emerson remarks, "The so-called 'practical men' sneer at speculative men, as if, because they speculate or see, they could do nothing." It's so true, too! I wonder how many parents genuinely fear for their children if they see them developing a tendency to think freely and outside the box - as if society will have no place for them because they are too iconoclastic and less willing to submit themselves to traditional ways of doing things. Still, I must say, I do believe it is 100% understandable for a critical person to become jaded very early on, hence, falling prey to apathy does make sense if you are aware enough to understand how the world works and consequently have difficulty seeing yourself as a content, active participant within it. It's interesting how such a keen awareness of the world can either propel one to "do" something about it or to develop such a deep-seated revulsion toward all things, thus retreating and forever living a life enshrouded in observation and speculation rather than physical creation. Emerson claims "The preamble of thought, the transition through which it passes from the unconscious to the conscious, is action." Gosh, it's amazing how difficult this can be to implement sometimes.

Nonetheless, it was refreshing to read "The American Scholar" because Emerson's words were so infused with a beautiful sense of hope. His faith in human reason and potential is so inspiring. Thoreau's work contains a similar appreciation for human potential, but his language is more emotional to me. Emerson's declarations of human potential hit me at a more cerebral rather than visceral level for some reason. Here is a portion of Emerson's speech which I really enjoyed: "One must be an inventor to read well. As the proverb says, 'He that would bring home the wealth of the Indies, must carry out the wealth of the Indies.' There is then creative reading as well as creative writing." I took this to mean that if we want to be active members of society, we cannot simply consume without producing something of redeeming social value. Society, with all its plagues and banes, gives us many useful things such as portal through which we can express ourselves and connect with others of similar mindsets. Therefore, it is our obligation to give something back to society in whichever way we see fit. I'm excited to figure out exactly what my particular calling may be...